On Sunday, Lorne Molleken will be back coaching at SaskTel Centre after a two-year absence. But this time he’ll be behind the visitor’s bench.

The former coach and general manager of the Saskatoon Blades, who left the club in 2014, is in town with his new club the Vancouver Giants to take on the Blades in an afternoon tilt (2 p.m.).

The 59-year-old Molleken said it will be special to be back in the building where he achieved most of his 600-plus wins as a WHL coach.

“I spent a lot of time here and obviously it is a place that is very near and dear to me,” Molleken said. “I have a lot of great memories from this building and with this organization.”

Molleken coached the Blades in the early 1990s before being lured to the pro game in 1995 where he had a number of positions, including being the head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks. He returned to the Blades in 2004 as head coach and GM. Molleken stepped down as the Blades head coach in 2013 after the Blades hosted the Memorial Cup, but stayed another year as the GM.

He was out of hockey all of last year after parting ways with the Blades, but still had the itch to coach and this past June he became the Giants head coach.

Here are his thoughts on returning to play the Blades:

Do you think it will be an emotional time when the national anthem is played?

“I am sure it will be. Talking to some of the (Giants) players this morning before we went on the ice, they were asking what it was like to be back in this building. Over the years we had lots of success in this building, and we had some failures. … But the one thing, Saskatoon … will always be considered home and the fans here over the years were first class.”

What do you miss about Saskatoon? “The city as a whole. Our family is still here. We have a son and two daughters and two grandchildren who we miss a lot. They are a big, big part of our lives and is one of the main reasons we came back to Saskatoon many years ago. That is the biggest part, that we miss is our family and the city as a whole.”

What do you like about Vancouver? “Where we live is a small community and we live on a golf course. It is a great area that we live in and there is lots of things to do for my wife and certainly I am real happy to be involved with this organization. It is an organization that has had some success over the years and obviously to be a part of it is an honour.”

You were out of hockey for a year, and two years away as a coach. What did you miss?

“No. 1, being involved with a team. I have been doing this for a total of, I think, 27 years coming into this season and last year was the first year I wasn’t involved in hockey and I just missed being around the team and just the highs and lows that are involved with the game. Last year gave me a lot of time to reflect on a lot of different things and then this summer I really got active to get back involved and was fortunate enough to land this job in Vancouver.”

What appealed to you about the head coaching job with the Giants? “I talked to them a year ago in November about coaching after they had fired Troy Ward, but the timing for me just wasn’t quite right for a lot of reasons. When I was afforded the opportunity again I felt very fortunate and to this point it has been a lot of fun.

“We have a great staff and a group of young men that have faced a lot of adversity last year and are looking for bigger and better things this year.”

The Giants and Blades are coming off challenging seasons and both are young clubs. You have started the season off with a pair of wins. How important is it to get off to a good start?

“For us, it was real important. We had two home games (both wins) and then we are on the road here for our (eastern) swing. So coming out here in a positive frame of mind and playing with lots of confidence is critical because this is a demanding trip.”

You have this six-game eastern swing early in the year. Is that a positive or negative for the team?

“I’ve seen it work both ways. But I think it will be a positive for this group. It is a bit of a different situation in Vancouver. Most of our players live in the same area, but it’s a big city. We are striving and working on having team building events, making sure guys

spend as much time with each other as possible and this trip affords us that.”

How has the game changed over the years and how has your coaching methods changed? “You have to adapt to the type of players you have or create a team identity. My philosophy has always been to surround yourself with real good people and let them do their jobs. My No. 1 assistant coach, Tyler Kuntz, coached at UBC last year and is very knowledgeable guy.

“With the players. it is treating them with respect. Our goal as coaches is to do what we can to make them better every day.”

What’s it like to be in a market where you aren’t the No. 1 hockey team? “The Canucks are No. 1, but the Giants are a big part of the city. We play at the Pacific Coliseum and it is a huge venue. It doesn’t lessen the pressure. … This is the best junior hockey league in the world and there is expectations that come along with that.”

What type of team are the Giants?

“Our goal is to play a real strong team game. We feel we have tremendous speed and a team that competes extremely hard.”

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